Victor Martins enjoyed another “super strong” Qualifying performance in Monaco, as he made the top three quickest drivers for the forth time in the 2023 FIA Formula 2 Championship.
The Frenchman will line up for Sunday’s Feature Race in second place, behind pole-sitter Frederik Vesti and in front of his team mate Théo Pourchaire.
Reflecting on his performance, he said: “We have been super strong in Qualifying which is a good thing in F2.
“It’s only in Baku where I made a few mistakes, I didn’t manage to get it right, but I’m still learning, it’s still my rookie season, so I’m really happy now that I’m back in P2.”
Qualifying for Baku in P8 is the only minor blip the Alpine Academy driver has had on a Friday all season, showing remarkable speed and consistency for a man in his first season in Formula 2.
His more experienced team mate Pourchaire – who is actually two years younger – also has a phenomenal Qualifying record. The Sauber junior driver has now finished in the top three for six consecutive races from Abu Dhabi in 2022 to Monaco in 2023.
Commenting on ART’s Qualifying success, Martins said: “Every time we have really good preparation to be 100% ready for the weekend.
“The team gives us the perfect car every time, we have the car to take pole each time and then it’s in our hands when we go on track. We are super strong and we will be able to be as strong for the rest of the season.”
The Qualifying session in Monaco was split into two groups to reduce the amount traffic on the circuit and avoid incidents between cars all fighting to get a clean lap.
Martins set the early pace in Group A, setting the fastest time despite only getting two clean laps between red flags in the middle and end of the session.
In Group B, both Pourchaire and Vesti bettered his time, but he will still start on the front row for the Feature Race as the quickest Group A driver.
For all his success in Qualifying, Martins is only 15th in the Drivers’ Championship standings, and will hope to convert his front row start into a good points haul in Sunday’s Feature Race.
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited
